Archive for May, 2012

It’s mad when you think about it, someone tucking into a bourbon biscuit and a cup of tea during World War 1. But, it’s entirely possible as the humble bourbon biscuit has been around since 1910, making it a whopping 102 years old. The original bourbon was apparently called Creola, but was changed to the name Bourbon, in order to make it sound more appealing. Apart from the name change, it doesn’t appear that a lot has changed with the bourbon biscuit. Continue reading »

It’s back!!! And I’m only delira.
I don’t often enjoy these types of shows, taking the view that watching other people up to their eyeballs in stress isn’t the best way to unwind after a day up to my eyeballs in stress. But this show was a big hit in our house last year about which I wrote not just once, but twice.
So if you’re up for showcasing your culinary wares on TV and possibly changing your life forever you have just until tomorrow to get your application in. Continue reading »

With its candle-lit tables sitting snugly together, French décor and menus like period gazettes, Chez Max would be the perfect place to live out a dream of being a glamourous Resistance spy. Except with 80’s music blaring as you try to wedge your briefcase somewhere for Marcel to collect.
Music aside, it’s a lively and cosy spot to go when you’ve no intention of moving til the last bus. Continue reading »

Good day, food fans! Our most exciting sweepstakes yet, with the biggest number of winners (10!) and best prize ever – a year’s supply of eggs, ENDS TONIGHT! Keep reading to learn the very easy ways to enter the sweepstakes.
In honor of National Egg Month, TEN people will win a Year’s Supply of Eggs, sponsored by the Incredible Edible Egg.
Visit Recipe4Living.com’s page and use the Sweepstakes tab to enter. Continue reading »

Breathtaking.
I’m back at the farm after an incredible 10 days of touring Ireland,
meeting passionate artisan food producers,
and local food enthusiasts.
Sharing products,
skills,
traditions,
memories,
and hopes for the future,
in front of our Food Island camera.
Now, it’s time to spend some time
having a look at all the beautiful + inspiring footage
and choose & deliver selects
to an amazing editor and friend
who will work her storytelling magic. Continue reading »

Next up on our bon voyage through the Languedoc was a winery I had huge anticipation of visiting after this write-up – and the highest rating ever given – by Wine Library’s Gary Vaynerchuk:
“The flagship wine from this new venture is easily going to be the next great global cult wine. Think Clos Erasmus or Masseto; that’s the level of quality that this wine brings! Dense, rich and explosive, with layer after layer of flavor and complexity. Continue reading »

DAY 5
May 30th, Wednesday
Lots on today but let us start at the end, in La Pinta, a restaurant, one of many businesses owned by former French rugby international Serge Blanco. We called up there this evening to his Bodega, Bar, Restaurant, Cideria, on the spit of land between the port and beach of Hendaye and signed on for the €32.00 Menu Cidrerie.
Basically, it was a five. Continue reading »

This time of year is truly wonderful for food enthusiasts, as every other week, countrywide, there are food festivals to attend. Last weekend brought me to Sheridan’s Irish Food Festival, an amazingly well run event, that I will tell you a little more about, in a blog post soon. Continue reading »

Looking back at my past week of snacking, I haven’t always made the best choices, but I’ve made some pretty sentimental ones. Keep reading to see my top 4 snacks that are close to my heart, and tell me about your guilty pleasure snacks. Remember, it’s all in moderation!
1. Ice Cream
Ok, I admit, with the weather getting warm, ice cream is one of my go-to snacks. Continue reading »

Sachertorte is something that i have not quite gotten around to making at home as of yet. However the other day i was reminded of a recent Hairy Bikers episode that included some great examples of sachertorte, including the sachertorte reloaded! For anyone who does not know the Hairy Bikers they are two bearded, food loving, motor biking, loveable nuters who i have watched since they appeared on the TV many years ago. Continue reading »

The Taste of Dublin 2012 festival is drawing closer and tickets are selling like hot-cakes – but you can still enjoy a gourmet Summer in the city because we have three pairs of tickets to give away to our lucky readers!
Each ticket is valued at €28 and admits one person to the 12-4pm session on Friday 15 June 2012. Continue reading »

Love food? A mild addiction to Twitter? An interest in meeting up with those people that you chat with online everyday? The next #MunsterFoodieTweetup will be taking place at the fantastic Cronin’s Pub in Crosshaven, Cork. Check out Cork Billy’s blog for more details: Munster Foodie Tweet-up June 24th
There are no shortcuts when you have more than 50 food-loving Twitter addicts coming for dinner. You need time. Continue reading »

It’s National Fish & Chips Day again everybody, and that means half price fish, chips, batter and tasty grease. Mmmmmm. This annual event started a few years ago to promote Italian chippers in Ireland, and has proved so popular that plenty more chippers are joining in. The very excellent Leo Burdock’s in Dublin has half price deals today, as the happy Viking in the picture is helpfully pointing out. Continue reading »

Crossing to Spain, while another ferry returns
Hondarribia
Bacalao
Tongue
Local cider
Smoked salmon salad
Macaroni
Day 4
May 29th, Tuesday
Went to Spain today for the price of a Cork bus ride. Made the short boat crossing from Hendaye on the French side of the River Bidasoa to Hondarribia on the Spanish for just €1.70. The trip takes just a few minutes and. Continue reading »

(preparing the ground at Bealkelly woods, east Clare, where an agroforestry initiative is running)

Oliver Moore meets an Irish organic beef farmer who also has established agroforestry on his farmGavin Lynch’s Hell’s Kettle organic farm in Wicklow has two distinct elements. The first is beef. The second is a little more unusual: agroforestry.
There is more to agroforestry than simply having trees on a farm. Continue reading »

Lindemans may claim a history going back to 1811, but these days it’s one of the big national brands in Belgium, with all that entails. So I wasn’t really expecting a whole lot from Kriek Cuvée René, despite the numbered champagne bottle proclaiming the 2010 vintage, bottled in October 2011 and good for six years past that: anyone can fake that sort of thing. The blood-red beer which poured forth did little to assuage my cynicism. Continue reading »

After the success of last year’s event, Pop Up Belfast is back.. but for one night only!!
And just like last year the venue of the restaurant is a secret and will only be revealed on the day of the event.. how exciting!! All the organisers will say is that it’s a “world class venue”…
This unique dining experience takes place on Thursday June 21st, but there are only 200 seats available so you’d better be quick with your booking! Continue reading »

Following on from our afternoon vineyard safari shown in part I, we met up again with Samuel Guibert the following morning to finish the tour in the winery and cellars of Mas de Daumas Gassac.
Here Samuel reveals the secrets behind the wine-making at this famous estate and just what makes these great wines so unique.

The full range of wines from Mas de Daumas Gassac is here, with 20% off all Languedoc wines €25 and under until 30th June 2012. Continue reading »

Sponsored Posts

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Every cook we know loves their iPad (or lusts after one) for clipping, reading and cooking from online recipes right in the kitchen. Well, Clickcase.ie has what may be the ultimate kitchen gadget for iPad lovers: the Speck Handyshell slots around your iPad 2 so it can be hung from any rack, drawer or cabinet knob, keeping your iPad at eye level and safe from spills and mess. Genius!

Clickcase, Irish retailer of brilliant iPad and iPhone accessories, is giving one crimble red Handyshell away to a FoodFight.ie reader just in time for Christmas. To enter, all you have to do is head over to the Clickcase Facebook page before December 8th and tell us why you love your iPad or iPhone in the kitchen!

This November The Great Irish Bake is back and Kitchen Hero Donal Skehan is helping out with sharing recipes and promoting the event. The Great Irish Bake is in aid of helping sick and seriously ill children get the treatment they need. Head over to The Great Irish Bake to register online and be in the chance of winning a trip to New York when you help raise funds for Temple Street Children’s University Hospital. The site also has hints, tips, recipes and all that goes with an event like this.

This is the Facebook for The Great Irish Bake and of course the Twitter hashtag is: #thegreatirishbake

The Great Irish Bake organisers have shared a recipe with us and also a picture of Donal Skehan with his kids from his first marriage. Some of this might be a lie.

The Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. In a standalone mixture beat together the butter and sugar. Add in the egg and
mix through.
3. Using a wooden spoon mix through the flour, baking powder, salt, mixed spice
and vanilla extract until you have a biscuit dough.
4. Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and roll out to about 1cm in thickness.
5. Cut out biscuit shapes, place on the lined baking tray, then using a smaller cutter
or a small knife cut out the center of each cookie.
6. Sprinkle the crushed sweets into the centre of the cookie and place in the oven
7. Cook in the oven for about 15 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a wire
wrack.

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